A Zegovnian Bride
by priestessofma'at7
Summary: A companion piece to Silk Over Steel, this is how Sovay would have been prepared for her wedding day.


The wedding of a Zegovnian Princess is an incredible thing. The preparations for the bride starts early, hours before the ceremony, and it is a pageant of ritual.

First, the girl is woken, slowly, by her ladies. She will done a white robe and then go to her shrine, chanting all the way; there, she will light incense and pray, in the Catholic way, Muslim way, and Native way, purifying herself and honoring her ancestors. She will return to her chambers and break her fast with a light meal of fruit, goat's milk laced with honey, and _tadelakt_, a bitter tea.

Then the girl must be relaxed, and her mind cleared; she goes into the _hariam_ chamber, alone, and steams for twenty minutes while gentle music is played. Sweet smoke will enter the steam chamber, purifying her and it; and then she leaves. The girl is taken to the Chamber where she will be massaged and have hot stones placed on every part of her body; all the while, calming music fills the room and incense purifies her mind.

When the Princess's entire body has been relaxed, her_ jahanna_, the woman who cares for her from childhood, and two ladies of her choosing, will enter and spread a special paste made from herbs all over the girl's body except for her head and neck; her hair, still in it's sleep-braid, will be kept well out of the way. This paste will make her body hair fall out and seal the pores so no more grows in; Zegovnians value hairless bodies on their women. The ladies will leave for the paste to take effect; it takes about an hour. The Princess will bring some of it and a herbman who can make it into her new homeland.

When the paste has done its work, the ladies will return and loose the girl's hair from its sleep-braid. She will go to a proper bath, where she will be scrubbed meticulously clean; every inch will be cleansed. Her hair will be washed with special oils to make it soft and shiny.

When both the hair and the body are clean, which usually takes almost an hour, the bride leaves the bath and is wrapped in towels to dry in a well-heated room. She will go, once she is dry, to a heated table; there, she will be prepared.

A perfumed unguent to soften and whiten the skin is rubbed into every inch of her flesh; any callouses are rubbed away with pumice stones, and acne is removed. Her eyebrows will be shaped until they meet the standards of beauty, and her ears cleaned; her face is encased in a mask of herbs and mud. Her hair, still wet, is combed out and rubbed with perfumes; her nails are cut and filed. The whole time, a _talir_ is chanting prayers and verses from the Holy Book.

A _hennai_ artist comes in with her assistants and begins to paint the girl; _hennai_ is a special ink, and the patterns drawn in it will keep away cruel spirits and bring the graces of luck, tranquility of spirit, and fertility. They will be drawn on the hands, arms, torso, legs and neck; the feet will be done later. While the _hennai_ artist works, her assistants paint the nails of the bride.

A stone basin will be fetched, and they will wash the girl's hair once more; it will be rubbed and sprayed with more perfumes. Carefully, a team of ladies will bring the dress, specially prepared, blessed and perfumed; they will put it on the Princess, careful not to smudge the _hennai_. All the while, the _talir_ is chanting; now he and a _shaimal_ will come and lay their hands on the girl, prying over her and waving sweet smoke around her to cleanse and protect her soul; while they do so, her women chant sacred hymns.

When the dress is laced and the way cleared, a hairdresser comes and arranges the girl's hair in the traditional fashion; he, too, will go with her to her new home. While he works, the girl's hands and cheeks are painted with colored paints; her eyes are outlined in kohl and her lashes lengthened. All of these cosmetics will be packed in her travel trunk to go with her when she leaves; she will use them often as a married woman. During this time, the Princess prays; she only has a short list of mandatory prayers, but many pray the whole time as they find it calming. Chatter is rare and often frowned upon; as a final, closing act, a feather is laced into the girl's hair.

The girl will walk to another chamber, her retinue with her; the chamber is circular and contains a single piece of furniture. The piece is a carved wooden chair with a cushioned seat and stone basin filled with scented water and herbs; the girl will sit and submerse her feet in the water. The Washer of the Feet, a servant chosen specially for this task, will wash and massage her feet, drying them with a blessed white towel; the _hennai_ artist will paint her feet and perfume them, and then her assistants will paint the toenails and the Washer of the Feet will put on the bride's shoes.

When the feet are finished, the servant will leave; all of the girl's ladies will put on her jewelry in a traditional order, starting at her feet. Four anklets, a belt, six rings, four bracelets, two armbands, a necklace, a choker, a nose ring, four earrings, studs all the way up both ears and a circlet will adorn her body; all are blessed and those that can be are inscribed. Some, like the nose ring, will never be removed.

The part that follows goes from cosmetic into ceremonial; a priest, _shaimal_ and _talir_ come and say prayers over the girl for fertility, luck and the graces, laying their hands on her head and arms. Water is sprinkled on her, and oil put on her head, neck, forehead and wrists; a different oil is put on her ankles and the inside of her thighs. Prayer scrolls (little amulets with verses on them) and rosaries are placed into her dress, along with special fetishes.

Finally, the girl can see her family; she most not cry as a solemn exchange occurs. The bride is seated in a specially carved chair inlaid with shells and jewels, and her mother approaches her; she presents the girl with inscribed hair chopsticks, which she will place, a needle, and a spoon. She touches her daughter's palms and chants a prayer, and then stands beside her; the two are linked at the wrist by a red cord. She gives some advice, and the assembled holy people pray over the pair.

The father will be next; bringing pens, a book, and a coin purse filled with money, he will touch his daughter's lips and pray over her as well. He, too is joined by the red cord; he kisses her forehead and the inside of her wrists. A_ talir_ says prayers over them.

Lastly come the girl's grandparents who are still living; they present cloth, a doll, and baby clothes, then touch the girl's stomach and pray over it. They will be joined by the cord; and when the family is completed and linked the three holy people say more prayers and wave incense, water, and more sweet smoke around them.

A cup of special ceremonial tea is placed before the number; the adults take a sip and then feed the rest to the bride herself. Once she has swallowed, the women will paint her lips; as soon as they have finished, special prayers of separation are said over the generations.

A blessed knife of inscribed silver is brought out, and solemnly, the men cut the cord attaching the girl to her family, praying and chanting; she is no longer of their clan. Quickly, to prevent her from being snatched, an amulet is tied around the girl's neck.

The family must say their final goodbyes now, for the bearers will come for her; four hooded, muscular men wearing only kilts and bearing a covered chair. The girl says her goodbyes to her family, and then her mother places her veil upon her; the chanting increases in tempo and volume, and she is raised onto the chair. A flint is sparked at her back, and rice thrown at the chair; she leaves the room, and this is the last her family will see of her until she is wed. In just an hours' time, she will no longer be of Zegovnia.


End file.
